Sunday, October 21, 2007

thinking of abuelita

What with my hand issues (bump update: still there, at least not bigger :) I've been searching for non-computer and non-sewing related things to keep me occupied. Which brings me to this picture of my abuelita that's been occupying my mind lately, which I scanned the other day...

So I started off with the little drawing above, which is roughly thumbnail-size. My creativity works in strange ways - when I draw I'm always trying to balance a tendency to be very very detailed and realistic and a desire to just be artistic, experiment with color and have fun. So I did my first few thumbnails without looking at the photo, just trying to remember the general lines and colors:

I photocopied the original sketch and filled in colors- the whole point was to have fun and not drive myself crazy getting it perfect (which does drive me crazy!) Then the next day I did a lunchtime painting in my moleskine, without the sketch or the photo to guide me:

I'm not a huge fan of the painting, but it was fun trying to remember and mix the colors. That night I finally looked at the photo, and sketched looking at it - it was interesting seeing what I did and didn't remember...

By the way, if you're wondering what she's holding in her hands, it's a Bible. She was a very sweet, serious person who I'm sad to say I didn't know very well. She lived with us a short time when I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade but I only remember a few things about her, one of them being that in every photo she took, she insisted on holding a Bible. And these photos were among the rare occasions that she smiled. I loved the fascinating way her eyes would brighten when she smiled in photos, as if she was revealing a mystery...

And finally, my last lunchtime painting - I just doodled this while thinking of her, the picture, and her little house in Mexico:

I thought what it would be like, to stand by that window with the bars and her Bible, thinking of her. Things which I can only do now in my mind, and on paper. So far I like this one best...

6 comments:

Oh, Flor! I am loving seeing your sketches and paintings - so sweet! I love your abuelita's face in that last sketch - she looks so sweet, and there is something very comforting about her face in that simple sketch. So cool!

Flor, it's funny, i was thinking about my abuelita this week as well as i am creating a shadow puppet piece to be performed next week. Your sketches are beautiful and the spirit is stunning...thanks for sharing..muchas gracias...

what a lovely meditation, flor. you know, even before you mentioned that she was holding the bible, i was scrolling back up to see if that's what it was (because of course that's what i suspected). i love that last self-portrait, imagining yourself in her room.